7309 Lazy Creek Dr.

Austin, TX 78724

(512) 414-LASA (5272)

FAX (512) 414-6050

www.lasaonline.org

Last Updated: October 1, 2009
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THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS

Folder System schematic

The majority of colleges and universities that LASA students typically apply to use one of the following applications in the admissions process: (a) the ApplyTexas Application, (b) the Common Application, or (c) of their own design. It is the responsibility of the student and/or parent to determine which application is required.

ApplyTexas.org – to be used for application to Texas public colleges. A few private colleges in Texas accept the Apply Texas application. See the website for more details on participating institutions. This application does not require a letter of recommendation.

If a student applies only to Texas public colleges and universities, he/she does not need to provide a folder to teachers, counselors, or college advisor unless they are requesting letters of recommendation. Again, recommendations are not required for the ApplyTexas process but may be encouraged in some cases.

Commonapp.org – to be used for application to colleges and universities who share a commitment of promoting access through holistic admission. There are now close to 400 Common Application members in 42 states and the District of Columbia. See the website for a complete listing of member institutions. Common App Member schools require these important forms in the application process: Secondary School Report, Mid-Year Report, and the Teacher Evaluation.

Colleges and universities typically require three letters of recommendation as part of the application process. These come from: the high school counselor or college advisor, classroom teachers, and mentors or members of the community.

Note on recommendations: Teachers will be inundated with recommendation requests this fall. In fact, some teachers may only agree to write recommendations for a specific number of students. It is important that you ask early to “reserve” your spot. This means asking well in advance before handing the folder over to the teacher, counselor, or college advisor. Not all colleges require recommendations, as is the case with many of the public schools in Texas. Please check college websites for specific requirements.

Please give your teacher, counselor, or college advisor a minimum of 2 – 3 working weeks (not calendar weeks) before the deadline to complete their part of your application. This is especially true for December 1st deadlines (Thanksgiving holidays fall before this due date) and January 1st deadlines (Christmas Holiday break falls before this due date).

FAILURE TO PROVIDE ALL DOCUMENTS IN THE SPECIFIED TIME WILL RESULT IN A DELAY IN THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS. DEADLINES MEAN DEADLINES!

Folder System Update for 2009-2010 Academic Year

Includes IMPORTANT NEWS about the College Application Process

We are implementing changes this year that will affect how students complete the College Application Process. These changes involve use of the Naviance system and concern the following components of the application:

Application Tracking - all colleges and universities you plan to apply to will be tracked in Naviance, including admissions decisions
Recommendation letters and forms sent to Common Application member schools - LASA Counselors will send the required Secondary School Reports, Mid-Year Reports, and recommendation letters electronically this year through Naviance. Most LASA teachers will do the same with the required Teacher Evaluation. This applies to Common Application member colleges only, not Texas public universities who accept the ApplyTexas application. Recommendation letters sent electronically through Naviance may lessen the emphasis on the traditional Folder System process we have utilized in previous years.
Transcript Requests – students will request transcripts in Naviance to be sent to ALL schools

Process for Linking Naviance and CommonApp.org and Adding Colleges

Log on to your personal Naviance site
Click on the My Colleges option under About Me
Read the Important Privacy Notice and click whether you DO waive access or DO NOT waive access. ***It is our recommendation that you DO WAIVE access. This is generally considered by colleges as the more truthful assessment of you; therefore, the recommendation is given more credit in the evaluation.)
Click on the checkbox to allow us to send all of your academic records to the colleges you request.
Enter your CommonApp.org user name and password in the designated fields to make sure your forms and recommendations are linked to your Common Application.
Add the schools to which you plan to apply. When you click “lookup”, the College Picker box will appear. If the college you are searching for is not in the Quicklist, you can search by name, state, or country. You can add or remove schools if you change your mind at a later time. Adding your schools ensures that your counselor and teacher recommendation writers send their recommendation letters and related forms to the appropriate Common App member schools. Another benefit: should one of the schools on your list plan to visit campus, you will receive email notification of their visit.

Process for Requesting Teacher/Counselor Recommendations through Naviance

Before adding a teacher or counselor on Naviance, you must first ask that teacher or counselor in person if they will write the recommendation on your behalf. If they agree, you will give your recommendation writers a copy of your resume, brag sheet, parent brag sheet, copy of test scores, any other related documents, and a list of schools you’re applying to with appropriate deadlines. Consider placing these documents in a two-pocket folder with your name and contact information and list of schools along with their deadlines on the outside of the folder.

Once you have permission from your recommendation writer, complete the following steps in Naviance:

Log on to your personal Naviance site
Click on the My Colleges option under About Me
Scroll down to Teacher Recommendations and choose the appropriate person (both teachers and counselors are included) from the dropdown menu

NOTE: Not all teachers participate in the electronic recommendation process through Naviance. If a teacher is not listed, you must give them the traditional folder with all of the printed forms, addressed envelopes, and stamps.

Your teacher/counselor will receive email notification that you requested a recommendation through Naviance. If they agreed to write your recommendation, they will complete their forms online.

You should give your recommendation writers a minimum of 2-3 working weeks (not calendar weeks) before the application deadline to complete their part of your application. This is especially true for December 1st deadlines (Thanksgiving holiday falls before this due date) and January 1st deadlines (Christmas holiday break falls before this due date).

How Naviance and Electronic Recommendation Submission will affect the Folder System

Naviance may, in some cases, eliminate the need for a traditional folder when you are applying to Common Application member schools since your counselor and most teachers will be sending recommendations and forms online. You must still provide the recommendation writers with copies of:

List of colleges along with their due dates in order of the earliest due date. Highlight these due dates. Please indicate whether it is a POSTMARKED DATE or RECEIVED DATE.
Academic Resume
Student Brag Sheet
Parent Brag Sheet
Copies of ACT/SAT scores
Any other pertinent documents

You may consider placing these items in a two-pocket folder with your contact information and list of schools with deadlines on the outside.

When the Traditional Folder System is Necessary

Instances where putting a folder together for your recommendation writer is necessary:

If you are applying to several non-Common Application member schools who require their own recommendation forms
If a teacher (or another recommender) does not utilize the Naviance system to send electronic recommendations and instead, needs to mail documents on your behalf

When you talk to your recommendation writer, you should find out if they will submit recommendation forms through Naviance or if they will, instead, mail the recommendation forms. If they choose to mail the forms, you should provide them with a folder.

For each folder, please include the following:

On the outside cover, facing outwards a large sheet of paper with the following information:

Your name, address, telephone numbers (including cell phone), and email address. Your teachers, counselor, and college advisor should be able to read your name from a short distance
A list of your colleges along with their due dates in order of the earliest due date. HIGHLIGHT these due dates. Please indicate whether it is a POSTMARKED DATE or RECEIVED DATE.
If you are applying to the University of Texas at Austin, please include your UT EID Number. Other colleges and universities may provide you with a special ID number once you apply; if you have been assigned an ID number, please include it for the appropriate schools.

FOLDER CONTENTS

Information Section (first section in the folder) – contains academic resume, parent brag sheet, student brag sheet, copies of ACT and/or SAT scores.

COLLEGE INFORMATION SECTION(S)

Include college materials in order of the earliest due dates. Note that each college should have its own section in the folder. This will help keep information specific to each school from being confused with others.

PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE ANY SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION IN THIS FOLDER!

Please provide the teachers, counselor, or college advisor with a large manila stamped envelope for each school that you are applying to. Current postage rate for an envelope of this size is $1.05. Leave the return address blank (the teacher, counselor, or college advisor will affix a LASA return address label). Please address the envelope to the college admission office. The large envelope sent by the counselor or college advisor will contain the secondary school report form and letter of recommendation. The envelope sent by the teacher will contain the teacher evaluation and the letter of recommendation.

Note: Additionally, you need to request that an official high school transcript be sent to each of the schools you are applying to. The Transcript Request process still should be completed through your personal Naviance account. The LASA school profile will accompany the transcript.

For each college/university that requires a mid-year report, please include a business size, stamped envelope addressed to the college admissions office. This smaller envelope will contain the mid-year report form.

Please remember to provide extra stamps for your teachers, counselor, or college advisor. This might only be one extra stamp for each envelope, but you do not want your recommendation letter to be returned for insufficient postage.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR COLLEGE APPLICANTS

Liberal Arts and Science Academy High School

7309 Lazy Creek Drive

Austin, Texas 78724

School website: http://lasaonline.org

CEEB Code: 440-069

School Telephone Number: 512-414-LASA

School Fax Number: 512-414-6050

COUNSELOR CONTACT INFORMATION

Ms. Jamie Kocian, Ms. Lisa Adams,

Project Advance Facilitator Counselor

Telephone Number: 512-414-1903 Telephone Number: 512-414-7088

Jamie.Kocian@austinisd.org Elizabeth.Adams@austinisd.org

Dr. David Qualls, Ms. Stacey Hopper,

Counselor, Counselor

Telephone Number: 512-414-7097 Telephone Number: 512-841-4029

dqualls@austinisd.org Stacey.Hopper@austinisd.org

ROLE OF THE REGISTRAR IN THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS

The registrar for the Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) High School is Ms. Boothe. Her office is located in Room 281 on the second floor of the building. Her telephone number is: 512-414-7081. Her email address is: pboothe@austinisd.org.

Students must request official copies of their transcript to be sent to colleges and universities as part of the application process. These transcripts cover the period from sixth grade until the end of the junior year in high school. Students should submit a transcript request through Naviance BEFORE or immediately after giving their recommendation materials (resume, brag sheets, etc.) to teachers, counselors, or the college advisor. Students should not expect that the LASA counselors or college advisor will take care of this for them.

Please note: In some case, college admissions directors will not begin considering a student’s application until they receive the student’s high school transcript.

THE PROCESS:

Transcript Requests will now be submitted through Naviance for ALL colleges and universities, not just Common Application member schools.

Before you can submit a Transcript Request through Naviance, you must have your parent sign a records release form and submit it to Ms. Boothe, LASA Registrar. Having this form on file will allow the LASA Registrar to fulfill any transcript requests made throughout the school year without students having to obtain parent signatures on each request. Students who do not turn in their records release form to their Forum teacher at the start of the school year along with other school documents should personally deliver it to Ms. Boothe as soon as possible (extra copies if needed can be obtained from Ms. Boothe) so they have access to request transcripts in Naviance.

Once this process is completed, you are free to request transcripts through Naviance for the colleges you plan to apply to, both to Common App member schools AND non-Common App member schools, such as Texas public universities, etc. Complete the following steps:

Log in to your personal Naviance site.
Click on Transcripts under the About College option

If you have not submitted your records release form, you will see the following and will not be able to move forward in the process.

We have not received authorization from your parent(s) to release transcripts to colleges

We have not received consent from your parent(s) to release transcripts for scholarships or athletics

If you did submit the records release form, you can click on “request transcripts for my college applications.”
If you added your colleges in the My Colleges option, you will see them all listed here under Current Applications. Click “add request” to request a transcript for an application. If you would like to request a transcript for a school not already in your list of applications, you may add the school under New Applications. Click on the Request Transcripts button to submit your request to Ms. Boothe.
Click on “View the status of all my transcript requests” to keep track of your transcripts as well as pertinent fees. If the transcript fees grid indicates that there is a balance remaining, you must make payment in person to Ms. Boothe. The first five transcripts for current seniors are processed free of charge. After that, the processing fee per transcript is $2.00.

Once a LASA student submits a transcript request to the LASA registrar, she will attempt to process and send it within three working days (it may take longer in the days immediately preceding major application deadlines since more students are making requests.) This is also true for the December 1st deadline and the January 1st deadline (because of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays). Transcripts will not be processed unless the processing fees are paid (when applicable – see below).

Once transcripts have been requested, it is imperative that students check with the colleges or on Naviance (for those Common Application member schools) to make sure they receive their transcripts since the LASA registrar cannot guarantee that they will be processed correctly by the U. S. Postal Service and/or the college admissions office. Give colleges and universities at least three weeks after initiating the request to check to see if they have received the transcript.

Transcripts will be submitted to the college or university directly from the LASA registrar and will include the LASA school profile.

A note about test scores: The high school transcript or Academic Achievement Record (AAR) does not have the following test scores printed on it (Advanced Placement, PSAT, SAT, ACT). You should request all test scores be sent directly from the testing agency (College Board or ACT) as many schools will not accept scores from any other source.

MID-YEAR REPORTS & TRANSCRIPTS

Texas public colleges and universities do not require mid-year reports. Most colleges and universities that utilize the Common Application require BOTH a mid-year report and an official transcript of grades through the seventh (fall) semester of the senior year. Counselors will receive notification in January when the Mid-Year Report is ready to complete and submit through Naviance. It is the student’s responsibility to request through Naviance that these official transcripts be sent to colleges and universities. These transcripts are typically available approximately January 15th.

Revised 8/20/2009

MAGNET SENIOR SAMPLE ACADEMIC RESUME

Name:

Address:

City, State, Zip:

Telephone Number: Please include home and cell phone numbers

Email Address:

Personal: Date of Birth

U. T. EID Number (If applicable)

College ID (If applicable)

Education: Senior at Liberal Arts and Science Academy High School, accelerated academic magnet program

Grade Point Average: (weighted on a 4.80 scale)

Class Rank /174

Attended two week biomedical college course for gifted students at Cornell University, Summer, 2007

Academic Magnet graduation endorsement, June, 2010

Accomplishments: AISD Trustee’s Top 10% Scholastic Achievement, 2005 – Present

Sophomore Induction, National Honor Society

Extracurricular Section leader, woodwinds, LBJ Jaguar Band, 2005 – 2009

Activities: Member, LBJ Band, 2004 – 2009

Member, Golf Team, 2004 – 2009

Magnet Recruiter, Spring, 2005

Community Eagle Scout Badge, Troop 324, specializing in computer mastery

Activities: Member, Northwest Hill Methodist Church Choir, 2004 – 2006

Campaigner, Save Our Springs Drive, Spring, 2005

Work Experience: Server, Barnes and Noble Coffee Shop, 2005 – Present

Interests: Cellular Biology

Creative Writing and Poetry

Jazz Band

Major Goals: Undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering or possibly

Mechanical Engineering

PARENT “BRAG SHEET” FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

Name of Student _________________________________________________________

What do you consider to be your child’s outstanding accomplishments during the past three or four years? Why did you select these as most important?

In what areas has your child shown the most development and growth during the past three or four years?

What do you consider to be his/her outstanding personality traits?

If you had to describe your son/daughter in five adjectives, what would they be?

Are there any unusual or personal circumstances that have affected your child’s education or personal experiences in life? (obstacles or barriers overcome, first generation to attend college)

Please provide any additional information about your child that would be helpful in writing the letter of recommendation. Remember, the idea is to have your child stand out in a stack of recommendations.

Please note that you do not have to follow this specific format. Feel free to individualize this brag sheet